Writing Good Fan Fiction

    Most aspiring writers begin their journey with fanfiction, a type of writing in which the writer takes an existing story (be it a movie, TV show, or book) and twists it to their own liking. Some choose to insert their own original character into the story, while others prefer to take control of some of the existing characters and take them on a new adventure. Either way, there are some guidelines to stick to when writing fanfiction. The best fanfiction authors know the facts about what they’re writing, keep the characters in-character, and follow the basic rules of writing so that readers can keep their sanity.

    When beginning any story, you should know what you’re talking about. Know at least a few facts about each character; where they were born and raised, something significant in their past, any special talents, or what their favourite food is. When it comes to fanfiction, you can’t just make up any old detail and expect readers to take it as truth — if they’re reading this particular fanfic, they’re more than likely familiar with the original work, and will probably catch anything you try to pass off as fact. Don’t try to tell your readers that Ronon Dex grew up with Teyla on her planet when most fans of the show know that he grew up on Sateda and didn’t know anyone from the team until they met in Runner (Season 2). Before you begin writing a fanfic, do your research so that you know as much as you can about the characters — even small things will get nit-picked on by someone who notices you’ve made a mistake.

    Many writers treat fanfiction as a stepping-stone to writing original fiction, but that’s no excuse for writing out-of-character (OOC) characters. You don’t have to start off perfectly, but if Harry Potter suddenly turns into High School Musical and all the main characters are singing and dancing around the school, people are going to begin to question more than just your writing ability. Remember to keep characters true to their character — that is, the quiet tough-guy won’t show his love for his girlfriend by writing her poetry and turning to goo every time he looks in her eyes. Rather, he might show he cares about her by holding the door open for her and chasing off any guys who try to hit on her. Of course, OOC characters don’t just appear in romance stories, but it’s one of the most common places for them to pop up, as the writer wants to write out their own fantasy romance and will change the characters to fit that. Remember to think like the character when you write about them, otherwise all your characters will end up thinking the same way you do and you’ll have no real variation.

    Finally, writing fanfiction isn’t a free pass to break the basic rules of writing. Although many people see fanfiction as crap by definition, you shouldn’t prove them right by ignoring proper spelling and grammar and the like. The characters should stay in-character, facts shouldn’t change half-way through, spelling and grammar should be checked, and the plot should flow nicely from beginning to end, with any and all loose ends tied up in a neat little bow when all is said and done. Don’t start with a side-plot and then abandon it before it can be finished — if you can’t think of a way to wrap it up, don’t start it. Unfinished side-plots only annoy and confuse the reader, who ends up wondering what little Suzie’s dog running away had to do with anything. No matter what you’re writing, the same rules apply.

    Some people think that all fanfiction automatically sucks just because it’s just a recycled idea, but let’s face it: it isn’t going anywhere. If you like to write fanfiction, don’t be afraid of what some people might say; just remember to stick to a few simple rules and even when you do get that first hate-mail for being an unoriginal plagiarist, you can keep in mind that they don’t hate the writing, they just dislike fanfiction in general and are taking it out on you. Although fanfiction may not be entirely original writing, it is perfectly acceptable if you just want something to do in your spare time or are looking to improve your writing step-by-step.